Electrical outlet device



O t. 31, 1933-; H. E. SLADE 1,933,078

ELECTRICAL OUTLET DEVICE Filed Sept. 24, 1929 ATTORNEYS.

Patented Oct. 31, 1933 UNITED STATES ELECTRICAL OUTLET DEVICE Harold E. Slade, Glen Ridge, N. J., assignor to Beaver, Manufacturing Company, Newark, N. J a corporation of New Jersey Application September 24, 1929 Serial No. 394,806.

2 Claims.

My. present invention is a continuation'in part of my contemporaneously pending application Serial No. 169,813, filed on February 21, 1927, which became Patent 1,731,989, Oct. 15, 1929, and it relates to a new and useful electrical outlet device adaptedto receive and engage the conven-.

tional type of electrical connector plug, and one which is well adapted to be wired with a duplex electrical cord which extends therethrough or terminates therein, said outlet being readily assembled and adapted to be rigidly secured to a wall or other support.

My invention further relates to an outlet device of this general character which is of an extremely simple construction to the end thatit may be produced at minimum cost, and may be assembled, wired, and attached or detached from its support without any unusual skill and with minimum effort.

My invention further relates to a neat and durable outlet of this character which lends itself readily to connection or installation under the various conditions encountered in domestic and industrial establishments.

To the above ends my invention consists of an insulating housing having a pair of spaced, parallel blade receiving apertures in said body portion, and a pair of spring contact members in said apertures adapted to receive the blades of a conventional electrical connector or plug, said spring contact members having wire engaging means formed at their inner ends, and means for securing the entire housing to a support.

My invention further relates .to various other novel features of construction and advantage, all as will be hereinafter described and claimed.

For the purpose of illustrating my invention I have shown in the accompanying drawing forms thereof which are at present preferred by me, since the same have been found in practice to give satisfactory and reliable results, although it to be understood that the various instrumentalities of which my invention consists can be variously arranged and organized and that my invention is not limited to the precise arrangement and organization of the instrumentalities as herein shown and described.

In the accompanying drawing:

Fig. 1 represents a view in front elevation of an electrical outlet device including its retainer emembodying my invention.

Fig. 2 represents a perspective View of the retainer shown in Fig. 1 detached.

Fig. 3 represents a face view of the electrical outlet with the retainer detached.

(Cl. 17 3r-338) Fig. 4 represents a view taken upon line 44 of Fig. 1. I

Fig. 5 represents a rear face view of the electrical outlet device with the insulator cap removed. I

Fig. 6 represents a section on line-6-6 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 7 represents a face view of an outlet device having applied thereto a modified form of retainer. v

Fig. 8 represents a view in perspective of the retainer shown in Fig. 7. v I

Referring to the drawing, in which similar numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts, and particularly toFigs. l to 6, l designates an electrical outlet embodying my invention, comprising an integral housing or body member 2, formed of any suitable insulating material. 3 designates a strap, preferably formed of metal, suitably bent into U-shape and extending around the body member 2. To fasten the entire outlet l as a unit to a wall or other support 4, I provide the terminal outwardly deflected flanges having the apertures 6 for the reception of screws or the like.

The body 2 is provided with the spaced, parallel contact recesses '7 in which are disposed the spring contacts 8 adapted to engage the blades of a conventional plug (not shown), said recesses '7 being provided with the shoulders 8, which engage the ends of said contacts to prevent displacement of the latter, said shoulders being seen in Fig. 6. The spring contacts 8 are provided with the deflected terminal parts 9, which are secured to the housing or body 2 by means of screws 10. Intermediate the terminal posts 9 are the diametrically opposed openings 11 in the housing or body 2 whereby electrical wiring may be introduced to the binding posts by way of the channels 12. The reference numeral 13 designates a central raised portion for separating the binding posts 9. The outer face of the housing or body 2 is provided with spaced elevated portions 14 between which is arranged a slot 15, best seen in Fig. 3. Upon opposite sides of the slot 15 are the exits of the contact recesses '7. To po- 100 sition the device upon a wall or the like the fiber disc 16, which acts as a closure and insulator, is fitted to place within the housing or body 2 and the body and disc are then placed against the wall4, for example, it of course being assumed 105 that the deviceis properly wired. At this time the retainer 3, see Fig. 2, has the arm 17, which connects the arms 18, in engagement with slot 15 and the complete structure is nailed or screwed to place by means of the lugs 5. In this connection 110 it is to be noted that the arm 17 is not as wide as are the arms 18, so that shoulders 19 are provided which abut against the corners 20 of the raised portions 14 of the housing or body 2. By this construction and arrangement of parts the arms 18 are spaced from the housing or body 2, as clearly shown in Fig. 4, so that electrical connections may be passed from the binding posts through the previously described apertures, and thence between the space formed by the arms18 and the body 2.

Referring now to Figs. 7 and 8,;there is shown a modified form of retainer so constructed that the slot 15 in the end of the housing or body 2 is done away with. In this instance the retainer comprises a ring 21, extended from which are a pair of arms 22 which terminate inlugs 23 apertured as at 24. The outer edge of the ring 21 at its juncture with the arms 22 is provided with shoulders 25 so that the arms 22 may be spaced from the body 2.

'I am aware that the invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential attributes thereof, and I therefore desire the present embodiment to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, reference being had to the appended claims rather than to the foregoing description to indicate the scope of the invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. In a device of the character stated, a body member of insulating material, a single opening at its bottom, a plurality of contact receiving channels, extending to the front face of said body member, contacts housed Within said channels, wire fastening means engaging said contacts, a closure of insulating material for said bottom opening, and a retaining U-shaped strap for securing said closure member and said body member in assembled relation, and to a support, comprising a connecting cross piece of reduced width adapted to engage a groove in the front face of said body member, limbs extending from said connecting cross piece and angularly deflected apertured lugs at the ends of said limbs.

2. An electric outlet comprising a housing open at its bottom and having a groove on the front face thereof and raised shoulders at opposite ends of said groove, a closure for said open bottom and means for fastening said outlet in assembled relation to said closure and to a support comprising a U-shaped bracket having a reduced connecting cross piece adapted to fit in said groove, limbs extending from, but being wider than the major portion of said cross piece, whereby shoulders are formed for abutting against the shoulders on the front face of said outlet, and apertured angularly deflected lugs at the end of said limbs adapted to receive means for fastening said outlet to a support.

HAROLD E. SLADE. 

